W A R R I O R
by Serpentillia
Summary: There are many ways to be brave, to stand up to your fears. Liezel truly wants to be brave, and if learning how to defend herself is the way to accomplish that, then she will learn at any cost, no matter how intimidating her teacher can be.


_**Hey! I obviously don't own fairytales, of course, but I do own this story!**_

_**Hope you enjoy this new story, its just an idea I've always had, and I've been itching to write some new characters. I know I should probably finish what I've started but…I suck. So please bear with me, read, laugh, roll your eyes and, most importantly, review!

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The cottage was small but clean, much like the others crowded along the winding busy streets of Kerisal. The small, bustling town was set between two tributaries of a river, and where the rivers met was a small manor house which housed the lord of the village and his three daughters, Keana, Rishi and Liora.

But our story begins in the small cottage on the busy street in the center of the market.

Inside, Liezel was already awake and cooking breakfast; her father sat at the table, reading the day's newspaper. Both were early risers.

Liezel quietly set the table, then pulled the last piece of loaf-bread from the basket and set it on the table. She realized she would have to run out and fetch more before her mother and two sisters woke up. Sighing, she pulled on her hood and light blue cloak over her slim frame and, after informing her father (who simply grunted) she left by the back door.

It was a cold, crisp morning and Liezel rubbed her hands together to get some circulation going. It was not a long walk to the baker's stand, and she could see the piping hot bread was straight out of the oven.

'Good morning, Carlo.' She said warily. The man was completely eccentric; he had insisted that she call him Carlo, and he was the only man in the village who enjoying taking baths in Hot Springs.

Liezel knew some of the village children regularly visited the spring to bathe in the slightly cooler waters where the rivers converged with another (but not in view of the manor, of course!) but she herself was too afraid to try it.

He oldest sister, Laine, had once told her and Lairi, her other sister that she had been to the spring at night, and bathing in it 'was a most wonderful feeling'. Liezel hadn't actually believed her because she knew Liene was too afraid of a whipping if she got caught.

'Ah, Liezel. Today is indeed a good morning, no? The bread is fresh, the pastries have come out soft, and spring is definitely in the air!' Said Carlo jovially, wrapping up my bread in brown paper.

Liezel eyed him, unnerved, then thanked him and paid him a gold coin.

'Have you heard the news, child?' He asked her still grinning merrily. 'What news is this?' Asked Liezel timidly, still unsure whether or not this bout of cheerfulness was good or bad.

'You know Merle's son, don't you? He's only a few years older than you.' Carlo kneaded more dough as he spoke, his finger moving with dexterity and precision, over and over the same hand movement. Liezel watched in fascination. 'Yes, you mean Johnny?'

She had never seen him come to school, and the other children had told her that since his father was a very important blacksmith – he even sold iron in Cormador, the capital – and Johnny was to be an apprentice, learning under his father. The rare times she had seen him reminded her of a tall, well built youth, looking out of place and too big for his shoes. He smelled of soot and had the darkest black eyes he had ever seen.

All in all, Liezel was rather frightened of his dark, brooding stares and stayed far away from the blacksmith's cottage unless absolutely necessary. 'Yes, the same lad. Anyways, turns out he's lookin' to find a bit o' shine easy, if you know what I mean. He's opening up a small fencing group for them young ladies in the village, you know, self defense and all. Only 5 coin a head. One time fee. Anyway, he asked me to spread the word, and I thinking you and your sisters migh' be interested.' He said.

'I didn't know Johnny knew how to fight,' said Liezel thoughtfully. 'It makes sense, though.

Her heart began to thump as she thought of learning to fight. All of a sudden all she didn't want anything more than for her father and mother to let her take the lessons.

Feeling excited and nervous and downright scared all at once, Liezel ran all the way home.

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'No. Absolutely not.' 

Her mother's voice rang out with finality, and the matter ended just like that. Her father didn't even bother to give them an answer. They were sitting round the dinner table that night, and Liezel's sisters were quiet. They had seemed more interested about the fact that Johnny was eighteen, and very eligible for marriage.

For Liezel, however, it was a different story. Despite how she was rather afraid of swords, knives, arrows, spears and anything sharp at all, for some reason she had a deep longing to learn how to fight. _Maybe, _she thought, _maybe I'll loose my fears of sharp objects if I take some defense lessons._

The idea warmed her and gave her courage to speak, for she very rarely contradicted anybody, especially her mother. ''Mother, I was - was just wondering if I could possibly- possibly take some lessons. I - I would like to learn, if I may,' She asked boldly, her hands trembling under the wooden tablecloth.

The table went silent. Her sisters stared at her. Even her father looked mildly surprised.

She watched her mother's lips; they usually held her answer long before she said it. She watched the thin rosy lines of flesh get thinner as her mother pursed her lips disapprovingly. They parted to let words come out and Liezel could practically hear the word, loud and disappointing, a sharp pointy NO –

'Yes. You may.' The words were issued from her father before her mother could make a sound. She closed her mouth, dumbstruck, and gaped at him for a few seconds.

'Arthur, what –'

'You two can go with your sister if you wish, as well. End of discussion.' Astounded, Liezel watched her father push his chair back and leave the house for a smoke.

Her mother glared at her and Liezel knew she would have to deal with her displeasure later.

'Now that you mention it, I really think I'll go as well. After all, I am nineteen as well so Johnny and I will surely have much to talk about with him…' Said Laine. At once Lieri, who always did as Laine did, said she would also like to join Johnny's class.

'Well I suppose that it'll be good to help out Merle's son,' muttered Liezel's mother grudgingly from the depths of the kitchen.

Liezel finished eating quickly and washed her plate she could hardly wait till the next day; surely all her friends from school would also be allowed to join his classes.

Liezel pulled her day dress off her body and hunted around for her nightdress, shivering. Suddenly she stopped and looked at herself in the full length mirror Laine had received for her eighteenth birthday.

Though she was sixteen, Liezel knew she looked more like fourteen; she decided that if, at the defense lessons she was unable to even lift the heavy blacksmith's swords, she would do some serious weightlifting. She knew her father had some weights left in the shed…

Otherwise she looked quite alright, she decided, critically examining her face. Her large hazel eyes seemed too large for her face, long brown hair that shone in the sun. She just wished she was a bit taller. She hated being shorter than Laine.

A sudden knock at the door nearly made her jump; rushing to pull on her nightdress she opened the attic door to let Lieri in. She bounced in at once, totally excited about something.

'Liezel, I just heard from the milk boy who heard from Janie who heard from the baker's wife that so many girls have signed up for 'ole Johnny's classes that he's having an audition! And he wants to begin as fast possible, so he's asked the school teacher if he can take a time out of our school day tomorrow if we can audition!!'

She said this all in about two breaths but the effect of that little speech confounded Liezel. She left my room as fast as she had entered, not bothering to think what an impact those words had on poor Liezel.

As she left Liezel thought, _now I'll never learn how to fight_, and in a state of despondency and panic, she went to bed, both willing and dreading the rising of the sun.

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_**Hello! I don't plan on this story being incredibly long, but otherwise I have no idea how long this will turn out to be. **_

_**Please let me know what you think: should this be a full fledged long story or just a short story?**_

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_**Serpy... xoxo**_


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